Brian Matthew Jordan with A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment’s Civil War
Drawn from diaries and letters, this new book reveals the Civil War as experienced by the common soldier: the bravery and patriotism of such regiments as the 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, comprised mostly of recent German immigrants. Learn more on January 11 at 6 p.m. ET. Register Now
Online Lecture
The Thrill of the Hunt: Collecting and Appraising Rare Books
Join Kenneth Gloss, rare book specialist and proprietor of Boston’s renowned Brattle Book Shop, for a special presentation about the history of his shop, highlighting anecdotes about private and institutional collecting. Following the program there will be an audience Q&A moderated by American Ancestors Conservator Todd Pattison. January 7 at 4 p.m. ET. Register Now
Online Seminar
Using Microsoft® Word to Write Your Family History
It can take years to compile and publish your family history research. Microsoft® Word can help! In this online seminar, our authors, genealogists, and publishing experts will demonstrate how you can use Word to streamline your writing process, saving you time and delivering a professional and easy-to-reference finished product. January 15 at 1 p.m. ET. Register Now
Spotlight: Plains to Peaks Historic Newspapers
by Valerie Beaudrault
Plains to Peaks Historic Newspapers brings two of Colorado’s and Wyoming’s historic newspaper collections together on a single website. A joint project involving the Colorado State Library, the Wyoming State Library, and the University of Wyoming, the collection contains more than 835 newspapers published in Colorado and Wyoming between 1849 and 2020. The database can be searched by keywords and limited by a specific date range, county, city, and/or title. Researchers can also browse the collection by title, date, or county. From a search box on the homepage, you can also explore additional digital collections from Colorado and Wyoming. Search Now
Online Lecture
In this webinar, Genealogist James Heffernan will go over tips for sorting through inherited research, assessing credibility, and organizing materials. January 13 at 3 p.m. ET.
A must-have for anyone researching New England family history. This new full-color edition is an extensive update of an indispensable resource for those researching in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT.
This virtual preservation roadshow will teach you best practices for surveying, handling, storing, and caring for family heirlooms and papers. January 22 at 2 p.m. (ET).
N.J. School May Sit on Top of 1800s African-American Burial Ground Hedy Grant wanted to know more about the old house in New Milford, New Jersey, that she’s lived in for 36 years. While researching, she uncovered evidence that an African American burial ground once occupied the grounds of a local elementary school.
Last week's survey asked about your genealogical resolutions for 2022. We received 2,794 responses. The results are:
66%, I will organize research papers, files, and photographs that I have accumulated.
44%, I will write up some of my family history.
12%, I will publish a genealogy or family history book or article.
62%, I will share genealogical information with other members of my family.
9%, I will interview and/or record family members for posterity.
32%, I will seek out new relatives.
40%, I will share and/or preserve family photographs and/or movies.
9%, I will join a new genealogical society.
38%, I will attend a virtual lecture, program, or conference.
13%, I will visit NEHGS (if possible) and/or participate in an NEHGS tour or education program.
15%, I will take a research trip to a distant repository I have been meaning to visit (if possible).
27%, I will take a research trip to a location where my ancestors lived (if possible).
4%, I will take a DNA test for genealogical purposes.
33%, I will make better use of resources on the AmericanAncestors website.
39%, I will investigate new online resources.
15%, I have other genealogical resolutions not listed above.
10%, I am not making any genealogical resolutions this year.
This week’s survey asks if any of your ancestors or relatives cut hair. Take the survey now
Want to share your thoughts on the survey with us? We are always happy to hear from our readers. Email us at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Readers Respond: Genealogical Resolutions
By Jean Powers, Senior Editor
Last week's survey about your genealogical resolutions for 2022. Thank you to everyone who replied. Below is a selection of reader responses.
Sigrid Stiles, Dameron, Maryland: My brother died twenty years ago, leaving me the last sibling with family photos and personal knowledge of our childhoods. I have been sharing photos from my baby album with a nephew and we had planned to tour places of family interest and look for my great-great-grandfather’s grave over the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately, my trip was postposed due to the rise of Covid cases. I plan to reschedule the visit for 2022. I also plan to draw diagrams and write a history of our former home and send it to the current owners so they can have an idea of what the house looked like in the past. The house was built in 1875, and we took efforts to preserve its Victorian essence.
Linda Moskal, Quakertown, Pennsylvania: My biggest resolution for the new year is to find someone or some organization that will accept and preserve and (I hope) continue the work after I am gone. I am adding a codicil to my will but I don't want to put undue pressure on my executor so I will reach out on my own and add positive responses to my will.
Database News
New Volumes for Boston, MA: Provident Institution for Savings, 1817-1882
Through our partnership with the Boston Athenaeum, we've added seven new volumes to this database, completing it for now. The Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston was the first savings bank to be incorporated in the United States. About 80% of the records in this database represent early immigrants to Boston, particularly the Irish community. Search Now
Dig Deeper into Globe-Spanning Primary Source Material
NEW! Explore 90 Unique Collections of Historical Material from Around the World
For a limited time, American Ancestors members can access millions of pages of primary source collections featuring content from the 15th century to the present. Collection titles include Colonial America, American Indian Histories and Cultures, African American Communities, London Low Life, America in World War Two, and more! Make sure you're logged into the site, and scroll down to "AM Explorer": Explore the Collections
Would you like these collections to be a permanent benefit of membership? Let us know!
